Yesterday's Girl
by Aline Riva
Summary: When Dr.Brenda Bradford returns to Riverton Gadget realizes he still loves her. Despite being with his robot partner G2, Gadget begins an affair. Then Brenda is injured in an accident and Gadget learns she is living on borrowed time. Gadget must make a choice - stay with G2 or be with Brenda, hoping love will be enough to save her life. *set after IG movies 1&2* Romance, Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Yesterday's Girl **

**Author Note: **

**This story is *not* connected to the five-book series, it is a separate story, and based after the movies Inspector Gadget 1 & 2.**

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**Summary: **

**Several years have passed since Gadget's last battle with Claw. Riverton is a peaceful, crime free place and Gadget has been blissfully happy with G2 – who is his partner in every sense of the word. **

**Then a face from the past arrives in Riverton and decides to look up her old flame – her arrival in Riverton will stir up old memories as Gadget realizes he still carries a torch for Dr Brenda Bradford, the woman who saved his life so long ago and transformed him into Riverton's greatest crime fighting hero. **

**Gadget and Brenda begin a passionate love affair – which is doomed from the start because they both know Gadget does not intend to leave his partner. They break off their affair, but that decision has tragic consequences when Brenda is involved in an accident so terrible that even cybernetics can't repair her injuries, and Gadget is told the devastating news that Brenda is unable to recover and living on borrowed time.**

**Then Gadget is faced with a difficult choice – to walk away and save his relationship with G2, or to stay with Brenda and hope that his love will be enough to give her back the will to live...**

***This story is emotional, passionate and rated M for those reasons. _And expect the unexpected_ ;-) Yes this is a love story, but there's _more_...***

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**Disclaimer : I own nothing, this is a work of fanfiction.  
**

* * *

**Rated : M (For adult situations).  
**

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Chapter 1 

_Inspector Gadget was dreaming. _

As he turned over in cotton sheets and gave a sigh, he felt his lover's hands slide down his body and her touch was cool but gentle; he knew G2 was beside him but as he dreamed on, he was recalling a time long ago, before he had met his robotic partner:

_He was dreaming about the time in his life when he had been the only robotically enhanced crime fighter in Riverton. _

_He was dreaming of those days that were mixed with nostalgia and pain as he remembered how difficult it had been to make the transition from John Brown security guard to Riverton's finest crime fighting hero: _

He was back in her arms, rolling beneath warm, sweat dampened sheets as she gave a sigh and he breathed hard against her skin, her bare flesh – that flesh was marked with the imprint of his exposed robotics. He knew if he pressed any harder she would have bruised, but she didn't care as her back arched and her auburn hair fanned out on the pillow as she took in a sharp breath.

"_John!" _

As she gasped his name, he held her close, flesh against steel as he slid his hand from between her damp thighs and looked at the flushed face of Brenda Bradford.

As she slowly opened her eyes he saw desire still burned deep inside her, he knew it as she clutched at his shoulders.

"_Make love to me,"_ she whispered.

And he replied with a kiss and simply lay beside her; his shirt was off but that was as far as he had taken it – it was as far as he ever took it with her, just enough to satisfy her, to watch her hit the heights of pleasure...

He still felt like half man, half machine but at least he knew he could leave her breathless, even if he wasn't comfortable enough with his rebuilt body to make love to her in the way that she asked.

_And in those days, after all he had been through, that had been enough... _

Gadget turned over again and gave a sigh.

"_No, honey..."_ he murmured, _"I just want to hold you..." _

Brenda's hand was sliding down his body.

"Gadget..."

He snapped his eyes open, aware that the dream was over, because Brenda had always called him John, _never_ Gadget – and the voice he had just heard was that of his lover, his robotic crime fighting partner G2.

"You just want to hold me?" she said softly in his ear.

She was sliding the sheet off his body and her gaze wandered downwards as she smiled.

Their eyes met, his human shade of clear skies locking with her electric blue.

G2's hands continued to roam over his body as she spoke softly to him:

"I think you want to do more than that, your human reaction speaks for itself!"

Gadget put his arm around her smiling as they lay together; G2 loved to tease him, toy with him, captivated by his human response to sexual arousal - but as he held her close he made no move to invite further advances; that dream had taken him to another time and place and no matter how eternally fascinated his android partner would be with the human side of his anatomy, right now it didn't matter – his thoughts were with the past.

G2 kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he replied softly, and she settled in his embrace and closed her eyes once more.

As G2 slept, Gadget lay on his back with the covers off his body, exposing flesh that looked and felt human, as real as the skin that covered the female android beside him, but while she slept, he thought about their differences - that dream of Brenda had made him long for the past. Suddenly he was aware of so much that had long been shelved at the back of his mind:

Meeting G2, feeling that instant and literal spark they shared, had opened his eyes to a new possibility – that the robot side of him could be a lover too. Until G2 had come along, he had tried and failed to have a normal, human relationship with Brenda, but those early days had been full of mixed emotions:

_He was Riverton's new hero. _

_He was an amazing crime fighting wonder of technological advance. _

_But he was also a man who looked into his bathroom mirror and saw half his body replaced by machinery and it did nothing for his confidence as a lover... _

He had tried with Brenda but looking back, he guessed any relationship that had been the first after he became Gadget was doomed to failure.

The synthetic skin that covered his cybernetic body had come later, and by then he had found out being Riverton's greatest crime fighter also attracted him many admirers. Gadget had come to feel more at ease with his new body and over time, as his heartache had faded and he pushed thoughts of the day he walked away from Brenda far from his mind, other women had come along. There had been quite a few women who had shared the bed of Inspector Gadget; by the time G2 had come into his life, he had been ready to love again and do so with confidence...

But as he lay in the darkened room with G2 sleeping beside him, as thoughts played through his mind and he recalled the dream of his time with Brenda, he was sure it had never before seemed that life could be so cruel:

Now he was Gadget the famous crime fighter, he was also Gadget the confident and sensual lover but while he could share that with his robot partner, he would never again share that with a human lover, he would never again feel as human as he had when he had gone to bed with Brenda Bradford. He had taken her in his arms as an insecure wreck as he tried to forget half his human body had been replaced; now he had learned to love his cyborg body and he regretted the fact that he would never be able to share that joy with a human partner again.

In truth, he knew he _could _share it if he wanted to – but he loved G2, and cheating on her was not something he wanted to consider even as a passing thought, because Gadget believed in being faithful.

He turned his head and watched G2 as she lay sleeping. Then he leaned over and gave her the softest of kisses, not enough to wake her but enough to make her smile as she slept.

"_I love you."_ Gadget said softly.

Then he looked up at the ceiling and thought about his dream and wondered why Brenda Bradford was never far from his thoughts. An ache spread vaguely through his human-cyborg heart and he gave a sigh and closed his eyes, wishing dreams would bring him memories of his battles with Claw, even the worst of those times – because anything would be better than thoughts of Brenda, the past, regrets and heartache that could never be reversed.

* * *

When the alarm clock bleeped, Gadget gave a muffled groan as he turned over beneath sheets warmed by his lover's closeness and he extended his hand, it snaked out, hit the alarm clock and then he wound it back in and leaned over his sleeping partner and woke her with a kiss.

As her bright blue eyes opened he felt a spark pass between their bodies and his own gaze darkened with desire and fondness all mixed together as he thought about holding her, running his hands over her while she caressed him until he could take no more of it. The electrical charge that ran through his cyborg body when they made love always happened at the same time as orgasm and it was mind blowing, so powerful that the charge that passed between them was shared and the intimacy of it often brought tears to his eyes because he was sure nothing had ever felt so wonderful.

_Except perhaps the thought of making love to Brenda Bradford, that sweet and beautiful woman who had saved his life and turned him from security guard into Gadget the crime fighter... _

He pushed thoughts of Brenda far from his mind. She was gone now; she had taken a job at a cybernetics center far from Riverton.

The day she left town, his heart had broken.

He thought no more of the girl who had owned his heart yesterday as he kissed his lover again, then rolled beneath the covers with her, giving a gasp as her hand gently settled on wiring that was hidden beneath synthetic skin on the inside of his right thigh as she started to press firmly. The sensation spread like a racing heat and his erection was so sudden it almost hurt. It was a trigger that had been added at the time of his design when Brenda had not been sure if he would be able to maintain natural arousal after sustaining such devastating injuries in the explosion.

He had soon found he didn't need that mechanism, but he used it anyway because sometimes he wanted that extra thrill - and that thrill was happening as he grabbed G2 by her wrists, pinned her down and buried himself deep inside a carefully constructed and very human place that felt so real he could almost forget she was an android.

But as he locked his mouth onto hers and their bodies joined together, with every thrust he grew impatiently close to the edge and that dream was flooding his thoughts as sure as he was about to lose control in both a human and robotic way.

It ran through his mind as he remembered how that extra wiring got him so damned horny so fast:

_Brenda was making him come... _

And he gave a gasp and so did G2 as a ripple of electricity passed through their bodies and his very human orgasm swiftly followed.

Then he turned on his back and lay there breathing hard as he recovered from mind-blowing sex – not exactly the human kind, but so good he had stopped caring about his robotic body and the difference it made a long time ago.

G2 ran her fingers through her hair, pushed it off her face, and turned on her side as she smiled at Gadget.

"That's got to be the best way to wake up in the morning!"

She looked so contented as she smiled at him and he gazed fondly into her android eyes.

"I could do that all over again," he told her, "But we can't be late for work...well, maybe we can be a _little_ bit late..."

"And then Chief Quimby will yell at both of us!" she reminded him, and Gadget laughed.

"That's it, no more – you mentioned Quimby, I'm definitely through with feeling horny now!"

G2 gave him another kiss and then got out of bed.

"We could save time by showering together." she said playfully.

Gadget's eyes roamed over her naked body and he smiled.

"We'll definitely be late for work now!" he announced, and as she laughed he got out of bed and followed her into the bathroom.

She stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

As Gadget joined her and the water soaked their hair and cyborg skin, he grabbed hold of her and pulled her closer.

"You'll just have to blame me for making us late," he told her, "I'm _bad_ Gadget today..."

G2 shrieked with laughter as he grabbed at her and playfully kissed her shoulder as the warm water ran over their bodies. Then she wrapped her arms around him and looked into his eyes.

"You do know the water will make our electrical sparks go crazy?"

Gadget's eyes flashed with excitement.

"_Bring it on..."_ he murmured, _"Blow my mind again, honey..."_

* * *

As the sun began to rise over another day in Riverton, Gadget left the house in his usual Gadget suit, his trench coat and fedora hat, while G2 wore her blue uniform. They walked hand in hand towards the Gadget Mobile, who woke sharply as Gadget opened the door on the driver's side.

"Morning Gadget Mobile!" he said brightly.

"Did you sleep well?" G2 added as she got in the passenger side and closed the door.

The car's computerized face looked wide eyed at the lovers as they smiled down at the screen.

"_I_ slept well," the car remarked, "But by the look on _your_ faces I'd say not a lot of sleep went on between you two... don't you _ever _leave each other alone?"

Gadget smiled as he started the engine.

"That's none of your business, Gadget Mobile. Let's get over to the Police Department, we have to see the Chief!"

The car turned onto the open road and they sped down the long straight run that took them past a sign that said _Welcome to Riverton._

Gadget glanced fondly at his lover as her lipstick popped out of her hat and automatically applied itself.

"You look gorgeous as usual." he promised her.

The lipstick vanished from sight and G2 smiled.

"So do you, Gadget."

"Here we go again!" the car grumbled, "Could you leave the _love_ stuff out of this conversation, it's _way_ too early for me to be listening to this!"

Then the car's computerized face changed to a look of surprise. "Hey, I just worked something out – it's only eight o'clock! How come you're leaving so early – and how's Penny getting to school?"

G2 explained:

"Penny's getting the bus today. We have to be at the Chief's office early because he needs to brief us on a special job."

"We have to be there at eight fifteen." Gadget added.

Then he exchanged an alarmed glance with G2 as they both realized their antics in the shower had indeed made them late.

Gadget's eyes widened; the angry voice of Chief Quimby was already ringing in his ears as he pictured the look of fury in his eyes when they rolled up late for their meeting...

"Step on the gas!" Gadget said urgently, "Rocket speed, Gadget Mobile!"

And the car turned out the rockets, as they fired up with a roar the car shot off down the highway like a speeding bullet.

* * *

The Gadget Mobile screeched to a halt outside Riverton Police Department and Gadget jumped from the car.

G2 cast him an admiring glance as she noticed how he cleared the closed door of the convertible with ease.

"I _love_ it when you do that!" she said with a smile.

Gadget smiled back at her.

"Let's go to work!" he announced, and the two of them walked into the building and headed for Quimby's office.

When Gadget knocked on the door, the Chief answered with a gruff _Come in_, and Gadget walked in and G2 followed.

Gadget greeted the Chief with a bright smile.

"Morning, Sir."

"Morning Gadget." Quimby replied, and as they both sat down the Chief looked across the desk at Riverton's finest crime fighters, known as the G-Force.

"What's this about, Chief Quimby?" G2 wondered.

The Chief paused, looking cautiously at Gadget. He noticed he was sitting there quite relaxed and not likely to suffer a sudden glitch, so Quimby took a chance, sipping his coffee before setting it down again, but shifting the cup to one side, just to be sure that nothing _Go-Go_ would shoot out of his Inspector and knock the coffee all over the desk and his newly cleaned uniform.

"I've got an important assignment for you both." Quimby announced.

Gadget straightened up in his seat as his expression became serious.

"Is it Claw, is he back?"

The Chief waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing like that, Gadget. Since you thwarted his plans to rob the Federal Reserve with your Go Go gadget bubblegum, we haven't heard from him. This isn't about a crime."

And there was a brief flicker of disappointment in Gadget's eyes.

"So what could be so important, Sir?"

Quimby explained everything:

"There's an meeting going on this weekend at Riverton Hotel. It's a robotics conference and I need you there to act as security. We haven't had any intelligence to suggest we need to keep security watertight, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Riverton is the center of excellence for cybernetic technology and we want to make sure it stays that way. Gadget, I need you over at the hotel for the conference. G2, I need you out on street patrol over the weekend, I want to keep the G-Force visible on the streets while Gadget's tied up with the conference."

G2 smiled.

"I'm happy to help, Sir."

Gadget looked reluctantly at Quimby.

"I have to hang around while scientists talk about robotics?"

The Chief found his lack of enthusiasm surprising.

"I would have thought it would be the ideal assignment!" he exclaimed, "You're a cyborg, it's about cybernetics..."

"But I'm not a scientist." Gadget added.

Quimby's gaze hardened.

"It's an _order_, Inspector!"

Then he picked up a stack of case files and handed them to G2.

"I need you to run through these files –with your android speed you can get this done for me in record time."

G2 nodded.

"Of course, I'll get started on it right now, Chief."

Then she cast Gadget a brief but affectionate smile as she left the office.

* * *

As Quimby looked back at Gadget he noticed he had an expression that was bordered on sulking.

"I know being stuck at a conference might not sound like a fun way to spend the weekend, Gadget – but it's for the good of Riverton!"

Gadget nodded.

"I know you're right." he agreed.

Then the Chief spoke up again.

"You'll run into an old friend while you're there – Brenda Bradford's attending."

Gadget's blue eyes widened as his human and mechanical heart skipped a beat.

"_Brenda?" _

"That's right – Dr Bradford, the scientist who designed you. I'm sure you'll be happy to see her again, I know she said she was looking forward to seeing you again -"

"You've spoken to her, Sir?"

Gadget was aware his face was flushing and he hoped the Chief didn't spot it; he felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest... _Brenda was coming back to Riverton?_

"Of course I've spoken to her!" the Chief said, "She called me and asked for you, she said she thought you would be ideal for the job."

Gadget swallowed nervously; for all his dreams and thoughts of his lost love, the very real prospect of running into her again was certainly different to the way he had expected to feel – it seemed as if all the heartache from the past was being stirred up again. He felt sure when he saw her his heart would ache for all they had lost, but orders were orders and there was no way to get out of this assignment.

"I hope you will give this assignment one hundred percent, Gadget." Quimby said.

Gadget looked him in the eye, pushed heartbreak aside, and nodded.

"Of course, Sir, you can count on me." he promised.

The Chief sipped his coffee once more.

"That will be all, Gadget."

And Gadget rose from his seat and left the Chief's office.

* * *

As he walked out of the Police Department, Gadget's mind was spinning and his heart was pounding:

Life had been settled for so long, even though he had missed her, he had got on with life. Now she was back, Brenda was back in Riverton tomorrow. He didn't know why he felt so nervous about seeing her again, and he couldn't understand why he felt as if old heartbreak had started to feel like a fresh wound – but he knew one thing for certain:

_He had to see her again – nothing could have kept him away, Brenda was coming back and he needed to see her, he could think of nothing else... _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Gadget stood feeling awkward as he checked his watch and realized yet another hour would crawl by before the first afternoon of the conference would come to a close.

As he stood outside the conference room he thought about G2 and recalled how he had felt so awkward around her as he prepared for his assignment; he had kissed her and forced a smile and hoped that she wouldn't notice the look in his eyes and it seemed she hadn't noticed anything different about him at all – but he knew differently, all he could think of was how desperately he wanted to see Brenda, even though he dreaded the moment because his emotions felt like an twisted mess:

_He felt guilty even though he had done nothing wrong. He felt as if he was cheating on G2 just to admit the fact that he couldn't wait to see Brenda again, even though his feelings scared him because he felt dangerously close to the past, and in the kind of way that tempted him to step back into it... _

Then he remembered there would be another hour passing by before anyone came out of the conference room and he relaxed a little. He hadn't yet caught sight of Brenda, he guessed she must have arrived early, because he would have noticed her..._Yes, he had looked for her... _

Gadget suddenly felt hot and he took a deep breath and adjusted his tie and checked his watch again, then he wished the Chief had never given him this assignment.

As the door to the conference room opened he stepped aside.

"_Gadget!" _

His heart skipped a beat.

He was looking down at the carpet and he knew he would have to raise his head and meet her gaze but his heart was racing now and he was sure she would see his face was flushed...

"Brenda."

Gadget looked up, silently struck by how one look in her eyes made his heart ache more than he dared to think about.

"It's so good to see you!" she said warmly, her eyes shining as she slid her fingers through her auburn hair.

Gadget smiled and hoped it didn't show that he felt so awkward.

"It's good to see you again."

Brenda nodded.

I've missed you."

Gadget's heart skipped another beat as Brenda spoke again:

"It's been so long – too long – I've often thought about calling you, but I've been busy with work. I read about you in the newspapers, how you handled Claw?"

She smiled and he wished he could kiss her.

"Nice work," she said proudly, "I knew you'd do well."

Then she paused, feeling awkward about the question she felt politeness demanded she ask:

"How's G2?"

"Great. We're both great." Gadget still felt awkward too.

He checked his watch again and then looked back at Brenda.

"I thought the conference didn't end for another hour?"

She gave a sigh as she clutched paperwork to her chest.

"We decided to wind it up for today – we're waiting on some input from some guys who are deep into a research program and they can't make it until tomorrow, so there's nothing left to do for the rest of the day."

Just then people started to file out of the conference room and Gadget stepped away from the door and so did Brenda. They were now further down the corridor, together, alone and Gadget wondered if she was aware of that as much as he was...he couldn't help it, he felt as if he never wanted to take his eyes off Brenda Bradford again.

"I'd better take my paperwork back to my room." Brenda turned to walk away.

Gadget heard a key rattle in a lock and glanced back to see a security guard locking up the conference room.

"I guess my work is done," he muttered, "no need to stand guard any more..."

Then he saw her heading for the elevator and on impulse, dashed over to join her.

As the doors opened Gadget gave her a nervous smile.

"I just thought I'd be nice and escort you to your room. After all, you did ask for me for this job and -"

Brenda had already got into the elevator.

She smiled back at him.

"Sounds good to me," she said sweetly.

* * *

Gadget stepped inside, the doors closed and the elevator began to climb.

He stood beside her in silence, and then drew in a deep breath as he adjusted his tie, feeling hot all over again as he thought about their closeness.

"_I'd love you to come in for a coffee." _

Now he felt even more flustered.

"C-coffee? Oh I don't know..."

Then he looked down at his arm. Brenda's hand was resting lightly on it as she looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm not mad at you," she told him, "back then, when you had your new body to get used to, it was a lot to deal with... you didn't need me on your case too. I did miss you when you left but that's in the past now."

Gadget hoped the pain he felt didn't reflect in his blue eyes as he looked back at her.

"And we've moved on," he added.

"That's right." Brenda agreed, "There's no reason why we can't be friends."

And then she fell silent as her own words silently stung at her heart.

She looked straight ahead and the elevator doors opened.

As Brenda stepped out into the corridor, Gadget followed.

As she reached her hotel room she unlocked the door. As it swung open she went inside and Gadget hung back, his gaze temporarily fixed on the bed that seemed to dominate his whole awareness of the room.

Brenda locked away her files in the safe and then turned back to the doorway.

"Are you coming in?"

Gadget hesitated.

"I was thinking maybe I should go and check on the Gadget Mobile."

Brenda smiled at the thought of the car she had designed for him so long ago.

"And I'd _love_ to come with you!"

Gadget stepped back as she came out of the room and locked the door once more. He felt as if he was fighting a losing battle; he wanted her and he wasn't sure if she wanted him but he couldn't get those thoughts out of his mind no matter hard he tried.

They began to walk back towards the elevator.

"G2's out in a squad car today," Gadget said, hoping talk of his partner would switch off his horny mood, "I said she could take the Gadget Mobile but she pointed out that I might need it if there was any trouble at the conference."

They stepped into the elevator and once again it began to move, this time downwards and once again Gadget was too aware of their closeness as she looked at him and smiled.

"I doubt if there will be any trouble at the conference, Gadget. You're here purely as a precaution."

The elevator came to a halt and they stepped out.

Gadget kept his gaze fixed on the door as he headed toward it, not wanting to glance at Brenda and catch that look of warmth and fondness in her eyes.

When they left the hotel and walked over to the Gadget Mobile, the car jumped to life at once, instantly recalling Brenda Bradford.

"I don't believe it!" the Gadget Mobile exclaimed, "Brenda, it's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too," she replied as she got into the car.

Gadget got in the driver's side and felt an awkward mix of frustration and relief; _he would not be cheating on G2 because it wouldn't be possible here in the Gadget Mobile, a sentient vehicle that could talk..._

* * *

Brenda enjoyed the drive through the countryside that surrounded Riverton; she talked about old times and now and then Gadget dared to exchange a glance with her but he swiftly looked away, turning back to the road ahead before temptation got the better of him.

It was times like this he remembered for all his mechanical workings he was still a man, he was still _very_ much plagued by the human condition that reminded him of his weaknesses much like any other man in this world; _he was sitting next to someone he cared for deeply, who he found attractive and worst of all, if it wasn't for his trench coat he would have had a tough time disguising the fact that he had a raging hard on, even sitting at the wheel of the car was becoming uncomfortable..._

He took in a deep breath as Brenda recalled the old days and she reached over and gave his arm a gentle squeeze and he smiled back at her, not really hearing much of what she had said because his thoughts were with the knowledge that he _had_ to control himself, he had no other choice – not if he valued his relationship with his partner...

"That was nice," Brenda said as she stepped from the car, "we should get together more often. We need to catch up."

And Gadget smiled briefly.

"It's not late," Brenda added, "how about that coffee?"

Gadget hesitated, gripping the wheel of the car as he looked down at the computerized face on the monitor, hoping it would be intuitive and simply know he wanted _out_ of here...

But the Gadget Mobile's electronic image blinked and stared back at him.

"Go for a coffee with Dr. Bradford, she's a _friend!_"

And Gadget felt like getting out of the car, closing the door and smashing a dent in the gleaming paintwork with his go go gadget mallet for that remark...

He turned off the engine and tugged the keys from the ignition.

"See you soon," he muttered, getting out of the Gadget Mobile and closing the door heavily.

Brenda smiled at him. A cool breeze slipped through the parking lot and shifted her hair off her shoulder and as it fell back in waves he couldn't brush off the thought that he still found her attractive.

But it was worse then that: _he still had feelings for her and he knew it... _

Brenda was happy, she didn't notice the unease in his voice as he spoke up again.

"Okay, let's go," he said, and they headed back towards the hotel.

* * *

Gadget said nothing as they entered the building.

When they got in the elevator Brenda was still making pleasant conversation.

He glanced at her and smiled but deep inside he felt as if his mechanical guts had never seemed heavier; he loved G2, he was faithful and even though he was sure Brenda couldn't know what he was thinking, that guilt remained.

When they stepped into her room and she closed the door he was very aware of the silence in the room.

Brenda locked the door and suddenly she was close beside him.

As she looked into his eyes he didn't want to look away no matter how guilty she made him feel.

"I meant what I said before," she told him, "I'm so proud of you, of the way you've coped, and with the great job you do as a cop."

Her hand was on his arm again and Gadget knew he could easily step back and break contact but here, alone with her, it all seemed so much easier – so easy that he just wanted to forget about his guilty thoughts.

"I remember what a hard time you had adjusting to your robotics." Brenda said, "But you've come so far – you seem so confident now."

For a moment silence passed between them and then Gadget drew in a breath and found his voice once more.

"Time's moved on, I've changed."

She was looking deeply into his eyes and he was happy to be caught there.

"_For the better."_ she remarked.

And she leaned closer, their eyes met and all that mattered was the stolen moment as Gadget gently held her and they kissed. What started as a cautious, gentle kiss grew deeper and harder quickly and all thoughts of guilt left his mind as he remembered she had locked the door and felt thankful for that...

He pulled back from her, she was breathless and his heat sensors told him all he needed to know:

She wanted him, she was ready for him, if he had pushed her back on that bed and slid her skirt to her hips and put his hand between her legs he would have known there was no need for foreplay – she was _more_ than warmed up...

Her eyes looked wide and black like paintings of women in times gone by who put belladonna drops in their eyes in the name of beauty; she was aroused and he knew he felt the same... and that door was locked.

_No one would know... _

Gadget took in an unsteady breath as he banished thoughts of home and G2 and the fact that he had set out to be a faithful man; that resolve had crumbled now and it was too late. The point of no return had been passed several minutes ago, when he had stepped into her hotel bedroom and she had locked the door.

He knew why he was here, he had only come back for this reason – he _wanted_ to be with her...

Brenda looked at him as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair.

"I still -"

"_No!" _

Gadget stepped back, thinking how he could enjoy this time behind this locked door, but when it was over, he would go home to his lover, he would have to look into her eyes and smile and pretend nothing was wrong – and it _would_ be wrong if he slept with Brenda Bradford, because no amount of love he harbored in his heart for the woman could justify being unfaithful to G2. They had built a life together, he had found happiness with her and a common bond in their robotic bodies, no one could understand him better than G2...

_Except perhaps Brenda, the woman who had designed him... _

She reached for him again and the look in her eyes made his heart ache.

"No, please don't do this, Brenda...I'm with someone, I'm happy, I don't want to cheat on her, I wouldn't leave her for someone else – even _you_."

Brenda cautiously placed her hands on the shoulders of his trench coat and looked at him intently.

"I still love you, Gadget."

Those words cut through him painfully, as if punching as hole somewhere between the mechanical and human sides of his heart. As he looked back at her he felt lost, but only for a moment because the words were bursting to get out and he couldn't help but weaken and say them aloud:

"_I never stopped loving you either." _

Emotion choked off his voice and tears blurred his eyes as he pulled her into a hard embrace and kissed her impatiently, in a way that told her there would be no more conversation.

Gadget took control as they fell back on the bed together.

He pushed her down and began to pull at the buttons on her blouse, as she caught the look in his eyes she saw dark passion, he was focused on the single aim of seeing her naked once more and then making love to her. No other thoughts were passing through his mind, he pushed her blouse aside and leaned in to kiss her as he unfastened her bra, he pulled it off her impatiently and his mouth lingered with soft kisses from one breast to the other as she threw her head back and her hair cascaded like fire as she sighed.

Her face was already flushed and her body was trembling as he placed his hands firmly on her thighs and spread her wider, as he tasted her and kissed her where the heat and the need for him burned like fire she gave a low moan and thrust her hips forwards.

He knew she was on the edge as his own shaking hand moved down and opened his trench coat, and then Gadget reached for his belt, desperate to free his erection.

He knew there was no turning back now; he needed her as much as she needed him...

Gadget tried to remember his powerful hydraulics as he held her down but what had started as a careful first penetration became an impatient thrust that was bruising as he slammed against her and she cried out.

"_Sorry!"_ he said breathlessly, and tried to slow down but the feel of her, the heat of her, the way she clung to him was far too much; his senses were overloaded with the urge to bury himself deep inside the woman he loved, so he did, rapidly, with the kind of movement that made the bed knock against the wall.

He wanted to hold back, to make it last, but it was too damned good to delay the inevitable as one final desperate movement made her whimper and then he gasped as a rushing white heat overtook his senses and he lost control, breathless and shaking in her arms as her insides flooded warm.

Gadget was still breathless as he rolled off her and lay heavily on his back.

"_Wowser!"_ he whispered, _"I needed that, Brenda. I needed you..." _

He had closed his eyes for a moment but as she moved closer and took him in her arms in a gentle embrace, he looked at her and saw so much love in her eyes he felt like weeping.

"We never should have ended things the way we did, we were so good together," Brenda said softly.

"No," Gadget replied, "I was no good for you at all in those days, I had too much to get used to, I had a lot to accept and come to terms with, I wasn't the man I am today."

Brenda smiled as she ran her hand over his chest and traced a path up the microchips that ran up his body.

"You're right about that – I never knew you could be so passionate, I always wanted you to be -"

"_I wasn't ready. I'd been through too much." _

And Gadget fell silent as sadness clouded his eyes and he thought of G2 and how he had just betrayed her in a way he never wanted to betray anyone he loved.

"What's wrong?" Brenda wondered.

Gadget's gaze was fixed on the ceiling as he spoke in reply:

"I never should have done this. I can't believe I cheated on my girlfriend, I _love_ G2!"

"And she will never know and soon I'll be gone from Riverton and -"

Gadget had looked at her sharply, feeling an ache in his chest as she said those words.

"This is crazy Brenda - but I want you to stay."

"I can't. I have a life to get back to."

Gadget gave a sigh as he turned on his side and rested his hand lightly on her hip.

"Part of me wishes we could do this again – I meant what I said, I still love you. But we can't, Brenda. It's just not right."

Gadget saw tears in her eyes and he felt like a bastard for crushing her hopes like that, but all the same he got up and adjusted his clothing, ran his hand over his hair, buttoned his trench coat and then went into the bathroom, where he ran some cold water and splashed his face. He didn't want to wash away the scent of her any more than he wanted to leave her arms, but he knew G2 would certainly suspect something if he went home smelling like he'd just spent several desperate heated moments with his face buried between the legs of his ex girlfriend...

When he came out of the bathroom he looked at Brenda and ached to climb into bed and hold her for the rest of the evening, then sleep beside her until morning came – but he had to get home, he had to get back to his life with G2 while he still had everything intact, before feelings got deeper and he broke everything he had built up that meant so much to him.

"I have to go," he said quietly.

She nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"At the conference hall," he reminded her, hoping he had put enough emphasis on the fact that from now on it would be about work and nothing else.

Then he unlocked the door and left the room, walking slowly towards the exit as he wished with all his heart he could have stayed in Brenda's arms forever.

* * *

When he got back to the Gadget Mobile the car asked him if he enjoyed his coffee and he simply ignored the question as the engine started up.

He had tried to convince himself this would be the last time; he would go home and G2 would ask him about his day and he would force a smile and say everything was fine, even though the guilt he felt in his heart would be an unbearable weight...

As he drove away, Gadget decided this could never happen again, it could _not_ happen again no matter how he felt about the woman, because there was too much at stake and he didn't want to put his relationship in danger.

He tried to remind himself of those facts all the way home.

But deep down inside his heart, he knew the truth of the matter:

_Of course it would happen again, he couldn't stay away from the woman, he still loved her..._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Gadget opened the door and walked into the house he barely felt as if he was home at all; some how his infidelity with Brenda had not only weighed heavy on his heart but made him feel as if he was a stranger here now – in a sense, he was. The man G2 knew and loved was faithful, and he had betrayed her now...

"How was the conference?"

"Fine," Gadget spoke quietly, barely looking at her as she stood there in the kitchen out of her uniform and in a sheer white dress that, under other circumstances would have driven him wild - if he had not spent the day having sex with another woman, the kind of sex that was impatient, bruising and even made his usually cool cybernetic skin work up a sweat.

_It was wrong, he knew it._

But he couldn't get those thoughts out of his head, especially the way she had come helplessly as he kissed her while his hand was buried between her legs...

Gadget shook his head, wishing he could make those memories vanish never to return. _Guilt was hard to live with._

Penny was sat at the kitchen table.

She had school books set aside in a pile and she was busy writing in her diary instead of doing her homework.

Gadget watched her as her head stayed bowed and the pen moved quickly and sharply over the page, the ball point scratching at the paper.

"Penny, what are you doing?"

The pen stopped moving. The diary closed sharply and Penny met his gaze.

"Nothing."

Gadget looked at her knowingly.

"If this about some boy at school you can always talk to us about him, me or G2- I mean, if someone's broken your heart or if you have a crush or... or something like that." Gadget stopped right there on seeing the look in Penny's eyes – she wasn't a child any more and one glance told him she wasn't about to share what she had just written in that diary.

"It's private stuff," Penny replied, then she got up still clutching the diary and called to Brain, who ran in through the open back door, and then she and the dog left the room.

Gadget listened to her hurried footsteps as she went upstairs and he looked at G2.

"Is she all right?"

G2 frowned.

"I think so, why wouldn't she be?"

Gadget took off his coat and hat and hung them up on a hook in the hallway before returning to the kitchen where G2 was still wearing a confused expression.

"Do you think there's something up with Penny, because I haven't noticed anything?"

Gadget shook his head.

"Its probably nothing – but she seems to write in that diary all the time. And she never lets anyone else take a look."

On hearing those words G2 laughed.

"Perhaps that's because its a diary and supposed to be private?"

Gadget thought about it and then nodded.

"I guess you're right."

Then G2 slid her arms around him and gave him a kiss he wasn't expecting. A brief flash of panic shot through his cyborg mind as he wondered if he still smelled of a trace of the wild sex he had enjoyed in Brenda's bed, but G2 noticed nothing.

"I'm going to lie down, it's been a long day," he told her.

"I'll come with you."

G2 had spoken so softly, so sweetly and once again his guilt weighed heavy.

"No."

She blinked, leaning her head ever so slightly to one side like the android she was as she tried to process his remark.

"_No?"_

"I just need some sleep," Gadget told her, "I'm tired."

Then he left the kitchen and went upstairs, glad to be alone with his guilt.

As he passed Penny's bedroom he noticed the door was ajar and he glanced in.

She was on her bed, head bowed as she wrote frantically in her diary. He could hear the scratch of her pen over the paper again and decided not to knock on her door and ask any more questions; clearly she was a teenager with a lot to pour into her diary and like G2 had said, it was supposed to be private...

* * *

Gadget went straight to bed but sleep was hard to find.

Even when shadows of dusk began to lengthen and cover the walls, even when G2 climbed in bed and put her arm around him, all he could do was close his eyes and accept the fact that he couldn't get rid of thoughts of Brenda Bradford and like a ghost that refused to be exorcised, those thoughts continued to haunt him until darkness fell and when he finally slept, he dreamed of all they had shared.

On waking in the morning, the guilt was still there and heavy, too heavy - but his head was full of Brenda and when G2 slid her hand downwards and murmured in his ear as she caressed him, he made an excuse and got out of bed because that erection had not been for her.

His hard on had been purely created by erotic thoughts of another chance to make love with Brenda Bradford.

He took a shower and dressed and left the house early, while G2 was cooking breakfast and Penny was at the table - and _still_ writing in that damned diary...

* * *

Much later, Gadget tried not to think about the possibilities that lie ahead as he stood outside the conference hall.

Then Brenda walked down the corridor and he couldn't keep his eyes off the way her dress clung to her body, he couldn't stop thinking about the warmth of her thighs or the sight of her parted legs or the way she flipped her hair back when she arched her back to welcome him inside her.

She lingered briefly at the door and their eyes met, she said good morning and then went inside, leaving Gadget standing there by the door adjusting his tie and feeling slightly too hot all over again.

He told himself it wouldn't happen again, but he knew it would because he had just seen the look in her eyes –this was something neither of them could fight and he was sure if he had the strength he could walk away, but he didn't want to and he wasn't sure if it was down to weakness or good old fashioned love, but no matter how he tried to dress it up in a romantic light he knew he was being unfaithful and although he wanted this, he didn't feel good about it at all.

He tried to hold on to that guilt, hoping it would be enough to make him strong and able to resist temptation.

_It didn't work._

* * *

Within twenty minutes of the conference being over, Gadget was flat on his back on Brenda's bed while the scientist responsible for rebuilding him so long ago sat astride him, sliding his tie free from his collar as she kissed him and he offered no resistance.

Gadget closed his eyes as he held her, welcoming the feel of her skin against his own as she undressed him. Being this close to Brenda almost made him forget he was a cyborg - here he was naked with a human woman who held him and kissed him in a way that made him forget everything that set him apart from other men.

He had taken her attention for long enough and then demanded more as he rolled on top of her and took her impatiently, slamming hard against her, knowing he was using his cyborg strength to get this over and done with because he just wanted to climax, to lose himself in a helpless moment of sheer bliss as Brenda made him come.

As every nerve in his rebuilt body tingled and sparked at the same time he drew away from her, leaving her suddenly as she gave a gasp of surprise.

"_Do it for me, Brenda..."_ he told her breathlessly as he pushed her hand down on to his hardness, _"finish me off, hurry up!"_

Her touch was all he needed to lose control.

As her grip tightened and her caress intensified, he knew he was leaking fluid all over her hand that was human and robotic and he knew what would happen next.

"_Don't stop!"_ he said sharply, thrusting towards her as the firm up-and-down movement of her grip took him over the edge.

He closed his eyes and gave a gasp as he lost control at last and his orgasm came hot and fast and left him weak.

They lay together for a long time afterwards, saying nothing as he held on to Brenda and began to understand that he couldn't stay away from her if he tried; she was under his skin now, she was in his heart all over again and in moments like this, in the glow that remained after their bodies had been joined in frantic, impatient lovemaking that left the sheets damp with sweat, he felt no guilt at all - he simply wanted to keep this woman in his life. As they lay there he made his choice, feeling the guilt that had weighed so heavy now replaced by the understanding that he still loved her.

* * *

It was much later and the sun was setting over Riverton by the time Gadget was dressed and buttoning up his shirt, covering the micro chips that Brenda had kissed and the body she had run her hands over while they lay together in tangled sheets.

As he straightened his tie and put on his hat he felt as if getting dressed again, putting on his Gadget suit, was confirming that now he had to leave her behind and go back to his life - but only for now, there would always be tomorrow...

He put on his trench coat, checked his appearance in the mirror and then smiled into the glass at the sight of his lover still in bed, she was on her side and watching him get ready to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised her.

But Brenda's smile faded. She sat up as Gadget turned from the mirror and slowly shook her head.

"No, Gadget, we can't. You _know_ this has to stop! Today was wonderful and yes I'll see you again but not alone, not like this – it's not fair on G2. Besides, I've agreed to stay on in Riverton for six months to lead some research at the cybernetics center. There's no way I can do this with you again, there's too much at stake - _you_ have too much to lose."

As he took in her words he felt an ache in his heart and that hurt reflected in his eyes as he looked back at her.

"You're the one who can't keep your hands off me – since when did you have a conscience about my girlfriend?"

Brenda ran her fingers through her long wavy hair and gave a sigh.

"It's not that simple, you belong with G2. You and her have so much to bind you together, love, friendship, work, design specifics -"

Gadget's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I should be with her because she's a robot? Is that what you're saying, that I'm part machine so I should only be with an android?"

The sharpness of his words had wounded her.

"No!" she insisted, "Gadget, that's not what I meant!"

"So what _do_ you mean, Brenda?"

She took a deep breath and tried to explain once more.

"You and G2 belong together. You're the only cyborg in existence and she is the only robot and –"

"And if she'd never been built, what then? What should I have done, Brenda - married a toaster?"

Brenda gave another weary sigh as she got out of bed and threw on a silk robe.

"No Gadget, you know that's not what I meant! You are in a relationship with a woman who you love, it doesn't matter if she's human, cyborg or robot – you _love_ her! It wouldn't be fair for me to get in the way of that. And I'm not saying it to stop her getting hurt, I'm thinking of my _own _feelings!"

Gadget knew tears were stinging at his eyes and drew in a breath and held back his anger as he wondered what gave him the right to decide he was entitled to deceive his partner, let alone expect Brenda to agree with him...

"And what about _my_ feelings?"

Brenda blinked away tears of her own.

"I love you, Gadget. But we both know this is going nowhere – it never can! You love G2, even if you left her I know you'd look back and regret it because she's like you, what you share together, for you, is real –"

Anger flickered in Gadget's eyes, sparking like fire through the glaze of his tears.

"_Real?" _

He took a step closer to her as his eyes continued to blaze, he briefly glanced at the messed up bed as he recalled the passion they had shared and then he fixed his gaze on Brenda.

"What we shared wasn't _real_ enough for you? It was real to me when I was in your arms!"

As Gadget took in a sharp breath and tried to control spiralling emotions, Brenda spoke up again.

"All I'm saying -"

"_Don't say anything!"_

Brenda reached for him, placing a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off as he briefly looked away, holding back tears he didn't want her to see.

"Gadget, please listen – I'm trying to explain, you're a cyborg, you can share much more in that way with her than you ever can with me."

He turned back to face her. As he blinked tears ran down his face and now he was beyond caring about holding it back.

"_I'm not a machine!"_ he said as his voice began to choke up, _"I'm human underneath the wiring and the hardware and I feel human, I feel like I'm made of flesh and blood and I thought when we were together I could have that back, at least some of it, at least for the time I was with you! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Is that how you see me, as a robot?"_

She shook her head and he knew she was still tearful too but he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and then went up the corridor, heading for the exit.

He paused by the elevator to wipe his eyes and then he left and didn't look back, carrying an ache in his heart as he headed home wishing he had never put his arms around Brenda Bradford...

* * *

When Gadget arrived home Penny was sitting in the living room and the TV was on but she wasn't watching it. School books were scattered about, but she was writing in that diary again.

Then pen stopped moving and she closed the book protectively as she looked up at him.

He thought about asking her what the big secret was, but then she smiled and he felt sure if there was a problem she wouldn't have such light in her eyes.

"How was your day, Uncle Gadget?" she asked him.

Gadget forced a smile, ignoring the pain in his heart that made him wish he could sit down on the couch, burst into tears and confess everything.

"It was fine," he told her as he took off his hat and trench coat and hung them up in the hallway.

Then he glanced around and called back to Penny:

"Where's G2?"

"She went out," Penny called back, "she went to see one of her friends tonight – Tracey or Casey, I don't remember which one...they're going to the movies."

"Tracey," Gadget replied, "she works at the police department."

Then he fell silent and looked down the hallway, then up the stairs and as he thought of his partner he felt sure Brenda had been right even though the truth hurt:

This is what it would feel like every day if he came home and G2 was gone, not because she was out with a friend, but because she was gone forever. He knew in heartbeat that he would miss her, ache for her, weep into his pillow for her absence.

Then he thought of Brenda and wondered how much of his longing for her came from lust instead of love.

But it didn't matter now, because it was over, he had got away with it and still had his relationship intact and he knew he ought to be thankful for that, even though the pain he felt deep inside told him otherwise.

* * *

The days passed by.

Gadget thought of Brenda but even though he longed to see her he still felt the fresh pain of the words she had spoken:

As far as she was concerned, he was part machine, more or less robot and therefore belonged with a robot. It made him feel as if everything they had shared had meant nothing more than...what?

_Sex? A cheap thrill?_

To Gadget their fling had meant much more than that, it ran deeper and every time he recalled the feel of Brenda's warm flesh beneath his cyborg fingertips, he ached to be with her all over again.

Those thoughts played on his mind as he drove along the road that led into Riverton on a quiet afternoon. It had been five days since he had last seen Dr. Brenda Bradford.

_Five days and seven hours to be precise, and Gadget was still counting. Love wasn't something he could kill off like flipping a light switch. It lingered in his heart and felt like a barb that had snagged him and to try an pull it out would just cause more damage; he was stuck with his feelings and although he didn't welcome the pain he knew it was a consequence of playing with fire, of course he had to expect to get burned, but at least the damage hadn't been fatal to his relationship..._

"You've been quiet these last few days, G Man," the car remarked, "is something on your mind?"

Gadget gripped the wheel harder and kept sky blue eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"No."

"You don't sound very convincing, Gadget. What's up?"

"Nothing."

The car repeated the question but as the radio broke the silence Gadget grabbed it on hearing an alert.

"...and you never tell me anything!" the car whined, but Gadget slammed the radio down and looked sharply at the computerised screen.

"Pull out the rockets," he told the car, "get me over to the cybernetics lab."

"But Gadget, I was just trying to talk to you –"

"_NOW!"_ Gadget yelled as his eyes filled with fear, _"There's been an explosion - get moving, Gadget Mobile!"_

The car said no more as it turned out the rockets and sped off like a blur.

* * *

All the way to the lab, Inspector Gadget thought of Brenda Bradford.

The human and mechanical sides of his heart raced in unison as fear pumped adrenaline around his cyborg body and he kept reminding himself that she was a careful, professional person and although a lot of dangerous chemicals were used at the lab in the research area, she would have known if there was a problem, she would have got in time...she _had_ to have got out in time, because he couldn't bear to think about the alternative...

The car screeched to a halt and Gadget leapt out.

There was a wide area sealed off around the building and thick black smoke poured up from somewhere at the back of the lab casting a black shadow over otherwise clear skies above.

Cops were standing guard and paramedics were taking out the injured and he scanned the sea of faces yet saw no sign of Brenda.

Fire fighters were at the side of the building fighting the blaze. Deep within the cybernetics center the alarm was still screaming. The front doors were sealed shut and he could see nothing through the glass but thick smoke.

As he took a step towards the building, someone caught the sleeve of his trench coat and he turned to see Chief Quimby, whose expression was one of shock.

"You can't go in there, Gadget," he told him, "it happened below the research lab - we think it might have been a gas main. But there's many toxic fumes in there. Most of the people inside were at the front of the building, we think everyone got out."

Now Gadget felt a flicker of alarm.

"You _think _everyone got out? Who's missing?"

The Chiefs face was pale and his voice was hushed as he replied.

"Dr. Bradford was in the research lab. As soon as the building was evacuated we had everything that still worked locked down –"

"Locked down?"

Gadget glanced back at the burning building, and then stared at the Chief.

"_You sealed people in there?"_

The Chief shook his head.

"No Gadget, the building was locked down because of the chemicals. If anyone's still in there it's too late, if they're not dead, they're as good as. _I'm sorry. We can't find Dr. Bradford._"

Gadget turned back to the building.

The Chief hurried after him, raising police tape as he followed through into the disaster zone.

"You can't go in there!" he exclaimed, "The fumes are toxic!"

"I'm a cyborg," Gadget replied, "I can take it. And no one will stop me going in there, I'm getting her out!"

And the Chief stood back, watching as Gadget hurried up the steps to the entrance.

He placed his hands on the sealed doors, hesitating as he considered using his cyborg strength to prise them apart. Then he screwed his hand into a fist and brought it down against the reinforced glass, which shattered on impact sending shards flying about the steps. Then Gadget stepped through the broken doorway, went into the toxic fumes and vanished, swallowed up by a smoky haze as he searched for Brenda Bradford...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Brenda!"_

As Gadget called her name above the scream of the alarm, he looked left and right as his vision was half blinded by smoke and fumes.

"Go go Gadget goggles!" he said quickly.

His voice was clear and his breathing unaffected by the toxic smog. As the goggles covered his eyes he made his way through the smoke to where wiring was sparking from a stray cable and the corridor was showered with plaster and rubble. Here the smoke was thick, but not black and he could see through the haze as the lights above flickered violently. Somewhere to the right flames were burning brightly and fiercely in another lab, but he passed the doorway quickly and made his way down towards the remains of the research laboratory.

Flames licked up the wall and around the door frame but Gadget stepped through, unaffected by the heat and the fumes.

The lights were flickering on and off and as he saw her on the floor, caught beneath shattered lab equipment and chunks of plaster, he felt a sense of relief; she was still alive, even though she was on the floor and bleeding from a head wound, her hand briefly twitched and she made a vague attempt at trying to open her eyes, but then gave up. Brenda took in a breath and coughed hard.

Gadget grabbed at the wreckage and shoved it aside, thankful of his cyborg strength as he shifted masonry and shattered furniture as he fought to free her.

Gadget didn't stop to think about the possibility of broken bones as he lifted her into his arms, he was more concerned about the way she coughed and fought to breathe. Once more her struggle was brief, then she slid into unconsciousness and he quickened his step as he made his way from the wrecked laboratory, carrying her limp body along the corridor where the lights flickered. The stray cable jumped and sparked as if it had a life of its own and he kept tight to the wall, aware that while he was immune to the toxic fumes, he was not immune to an electrical shock, which could melt his internal wiring...

He ordered the goggles off as he reached the doorway. As he carried Brenda through the shattered framework daylight hit him sharply and looking down at her his arms he wondered if she was dead; she was unmoving, seemed lifeless...

* * *

As the fresh air hit, she coughed and her body jerked in his arms.

Gadget looked down at her and said her name but Brenda lay still once more, her face and hair were darkened by soot from the fire and an acrid smell clung to her as she took in a difficult breath. He didn't want to think about the damage the chemicals had done to her, but as he stood there outside the disaster zone and medics rushed toward him he felt an ache in his heart as she was taken from him and he turned to watch as she was rushed to a waiting ambulance and wanted to follow, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head and saw Quimby standing beside him.

"Good work, Inspector," he said in a hushed voice, "you did all you could. I'm so sorry..."

Gadget blinked away tears that were not brought about the smoke and the stink in the air; anger and pain all rose up at once because the Chief had spoken as if Brenda was already dead.

"She's _alive_, sir!"

As the Chief looked at Gadget deepest sympathy shone from his eyes. He had lost count of the times he had yelled at his bumbling, clumsy, sometimes glitch-ridden Inspector, but now was certainly not the time to do that.

"I know she is, Gadget. That's thanks to you. No one else could have got her out of there so quickly."

Then Quimby paused, looking down at the ground as he gathered his thoughts and when he met Inspector Gadget's gaze, that expression of deepest sorrow was still there in his eyes.

"Listen to me," Quimby had lowered his voice, "The toxic fumes in there are deadly to a human being. There is no chance that she will make a full recovery from this. She's only breathing now because you go her out - but there's no long term fix for exposure to this stuff. Gadget, you have to face the fact that Brenda won't survive this. She might hold on for a while, but she won't pull through this...you have to accept that because there can be no other outcome."

"_I don't accept that."_

And Quimby opened his mouth to speak up again, to tell Gadget that he had to face reality in this situation, but Gadget was already gone, he hurried off towards the ambulance and extended an arm just as the door was about to close, pulled it open and got in the back, then the doors shut and with sirens wailing the vehicle took off at speed in the direction of Riverton Hospital.

* * *

When the call had come through, G2 had felt a flicker of alarm on hearing Gadget had gone into a burning building filled with toxic fumes. Then Penny had sensibly reminded her that Uncle Gadget was immune to such dangers because his body was fortified by cyborg technology.

All the same, while Penny fretted over worrying about the fact that her Uncle Gadget could have sustained burns to his partially artificial skin, G2 still felt concerned about her lover breathing in such toxic fumes - he was a cyborg _not_ an android - and this rescue mission would have been better suited to an android. That thought didn't leave her mechanical mind until she arrived at Riverton Hospital and walked inside with Penny and went off in search of Gadget.

When she found him he was leaning against a wall in a blank white corridor and as he turned and looked at her she saw such fear in his eyes that terror shot through her instantly as she wondered if he had suffered some kind of damage because of the toxic fumes.

"Gadget?"

As she spoke his name, as she stepped closer, Gadget knew he couldn't hold back his tears any longer.

G2's arms were around him and as he pressed his face against her shoulder he sobbed.

Penny stood there feeling awkward as her Uncle cried and as G2 spoke to him softly, Penny turned and went over to a seating area, where she sat down and placed her diary in her lap with the pen neatly on top of it as she watched the scene unfold.

As Gadget let go of G2 the android's electric blue eyes widened as she looked at him fearfully.

"What's wrong? Why are you here? Are you all right, _please_ tell me the toxins didn't damage you -"

_"I'm fine."_

Gadget's voice was broken with tears and he blinked as he looked into the eyes of the woman who loved him so much.

G2 had her hands on his shoulders and it would have been easy to melt back into her embrace and sob again but it would have solved nothing.

"She's out of surgery," he said quietly as a tear ran down his cheek, "I don't know how long she can hold on the doctors are trying to get her stabilized on medication that can hold back the effects of the poisoning, at least for a little while. I can't leave; I need to be here for her."

G2 frowned.

Penny had been writing in her diary but now the pen had stopped moving, the scratch of ink over paper had ceased as she looked up from her seat at the nearby waiting area.

Gadget looked to G2, then to Penny and then back at his partner once more.

This was not the way he had planned for things to happen.

"_Who_ do you need to be here for, Gadget?" asked G2.

He took in a shaky breath and blinked away more tears.

Now was not a time for lies, even if lies were the only way to paper over cracks and hide the truth that rested beneath.

Now it was too late for all of that and only the truth could be spoken because there simply was no room for anything less, because Brenda Bradford was dying.

It was hard to speak as he looked into the eyes of the woman who loved him and trusted him, the woman who had never had a reason to doubt him. It broke his heart to think that what he was about to say would shatter all her illusions, and he didn't even want to begin to wonder what Penny would think of him once she knew the truth of the matter...

It seemed as if there was no air left to breathe in, but some how it reached his lungs. Then he began to speak:

_"It was Brenda Bradford, she was the woman I rescued from the lab."_

And he blinked again to clear his vision and took in another shaky breath. Meeting her gaze was difficult; the android had such sadness burning in her blue eyes on hearing the name of the woman injured in the fire.

"The scientist who rebuilt you? The one you used to –"

"Yes, her! I used to date her. We were very close and there was no way I could have left her in there to die, so I got her out."

"Oh Gadget, I'm so sorry!" G2's voice was full of sympathy and it just served to make his guilt weigh heavier.

"No," Gadget said as he wiped his eyes, "don't be. The doctors said they can't save her. They can stabilize her with medication but it wont be forever. She's on borrowed time and now I'm all she's got."

And G2 let go of him and looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"I don't understand..."

Penny rose from her seat, keeping a tight hold on her diary as she walked over to join them.

"Brenda's going to die?"

Gadget nodded, but he could barely look his niece in the eye.

He was tearful once more as he turned back to G2.

"Why?" she asked him, "Why would you say such a thing, that I shouldn't express my sympathy?"

"I've been..."

_The words stuck in his throat._

He briefly closed his eyes as he took in a breath and remembered he was guilty and there was no room for lies, that she deserved the truth and above all, he had played with fire and now had to pay the price – not an unfair outcome, considering that he had gone against his usually high principles in a moment of weakness and now, quite rightly, deserved this painful fallout...

He shifted his gaze back to Penny, who looked up to him, who aspired to be detective just like him some day, who admired and loved him... he wondered, would she still hold him in such high esteem when she knew the truth?

"Gadget, what's this about?" G2 asked again.

The world looked blurry and his eyes were stinging but he fought back tears as he found his voice again.

"I'm so sorry," he said tearfully, " but me and Brenda – well I suppose it's me whose to blame because I could have walked away, but I didn't...me and Brenda have been seeing each other. We broke it off but now this has happened I can't leave her, G2. I'm sorry but she's going to need someone to take care of her, and that person ought to be me, I _want_ to do that for her. _She doesn't have long and I do, I love her, I'm sorry but I do.._."

Gadget's voice had broken up as he stifled a sob and more tears ran from his eyes.

Penny's jaw had dropped as she stared at her Uncle.

"You've been _seeing_ her? How long?"

Gadget shook his head.

"Not long... but long enough, I know what I need to do; I need to be with her."

Penny was staring at him.

_"How could you?"_ she said quietly, and the hurt he heard in her voice seemed to drive his own guilt painfully deeper.

"Is this a recent thing?" G2 had fixed him with a look filled with hurt and anger and tears that she was determined to hold back.

"Since the conference."

His confession did nothing to take away the hurt that burned in her eyes.

G2 straightened up, considered slapping his face - then remembered a slap from an android certainly wouldn't cause much damage to a cyborg like Gadget, but could possibly put him through a wall and she did not want to behave that way in front of Penny. Instead she forced the ghost of a smile and her eyes stayed cold as the tone of her voice as she gave him her reply.

"Fine. You go and take care of your lover and I'll go home and wait for you. I'll just wait it out. _You can come back home when she dies._"

For a brief moment Gadget's eyes clouded with confusion, but then he saw the rage in G2's eyes had not cooled, in fact it seemed to burn brighter and as he looked at Penny he saw tears in her eyes that hurt just as deeply but in a different way because it broke his heart to see such hurt in the eyes of his niece who he loved just like a daughter; he felt as if he had betrayed them both...

_"I'm sorry!"_

As he spoke tears ran down his face and he wanted to reach out to G2 and to Penny but they were looking at him as if this could never be forgotten or forgiven.

Then Penny glared at her Uncle.

"_We were a family!"_ she said tearfully.

Gadget's blue eyes widened in shock.

"_We still are!"_

G2 was shaking her head.

"No, Gadget – don't make this any worse; just don't say anything else, please..."

Penny gave a sob and turned and ran up the corridor.

G2 called her name and turned to follow, but Gadget caught her arm. The frosty look she shot him made him let go at once; it was clear she didn't want him near her and probably never would again.

"Just hear me out –"

Gadget knew his words were wasted on her.

G2 cast him a stony glance.

"Leave me alone. Go to your sick lover, you've made your choice. I thought I could trust you, I was mistaken."

"_It wasn't like that!"_

G2 shook her head again.

"I don't want to know what it was like, but you and me are over. Now I have to go and find Penny, she's hurt by all this too!"

And with those words she turned away and headed off up the corridor.

Gadget leaned heavily against the wall as he drew in a shaky breath and blinked away tears.

For a moment he felt as if the whole word had caved in around him and taken with it everything he held dear.

Then he remembered Brenda was dying and he knew he needed to be with her; to choose to do anything less would have left him with a lifetime of guilt and regret and he was sure that choice had not been made out of selfishness to ease his conscience - he knew he loved her, and what use would that be to her if he never got to say it again, to show her he still cared? Everything had changed in the moment the lab had gone up; that explosion had blown his life wide apart too and the only way he could pick up the pieces and hang on to what he believed in – a passionate sense of fairness in an unfair world – was to listen to his heart, to follow it, and to be with Brenda because there could never be another chance to make amends with the woman he loved...

* * *

Gadget knew the facts before the doctor spoke to him and explained how the toxins were irreparably destroying Brenda's body.

He listened but felt numb, as if he was out of his hi-tech, hardware store of a body, as if the machinery and the wires and the circuits and the gadgets inside him weighed nothing, it was as if he was sliding out of himself, as if this was happening to someone else, or like it was all bad dream – except he knew this was real and he had just made a confession that had cost him his family and now the woman he had sacrificed them for was dying –not now, she would live for a while, as long as the drugs held back the worst of the damage but eventually, Brenda would be gone.

He wondered as he pushed open the door to her room if had made a mistake - what was the point in giving up everything for a dying woman?

_Then he remembered in a heartbeat that he loved her, and love made everything worthwhile._

"She's semi-conscious," the nurse told him quietly as she adjusted an IV line, "she keeps drifting in and out of waking, she's been pumped full of meds and it's going to be a while before she can have a proper conversation. Try not to let her talk too much, just sit with her and let her know she's not alone."

"Does she know how bad this is?"

The nurse nodded.

"She understands fully."

Then she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Gadget pulled up a chair and too off his trench coat and draped it over the back of the chair before sitting down and taking hold of Brenda's hand.

As he looked at her Gadget got that odd feeling again, as if he was out of his mechanical body, weightless and dreaming:

_How could this be real, how could it have happened?_

_Brenda didn't deserve to die._

Gadget was not so naïve as to believe only bad people got the bad stuff happen in life – he had learned from his own painful experience on the day he had lost half his human body and had it replaced with machinery that terrible things happened to the good people in this world too, that illness and injury and death were not confined to those who deserved to suffer.

_Yet it still seemed such an injustice that Brenda had suffered like this._

_But there was little justice in this world; that was why he had become Inspector Gadget, that was why he had been designed to be a crime fighting machine._

_At least he could make sense of his own tragedy that way..._

"Brenda."

He had spoken her name softly but her eyes remained closed.

She was breathing on oxygen and her breaths were short and each one was a struggle. Her skin was pale and shone like warm wax as pricks of perspiration beaded the sheen upon her skin. Dark shadows beneath her eyes told of the struggle she was facing to stay alive and of the poison that had invaded her body.

Gadget leaned closer and gently stroked her hair.

"When the drugs start to work you'll feel a lot better," he said softly, "and then I'm coming home with you, I'm taking care of you."

She took in another difficult breath and her eyes slowly opened, at first she focussed on nothing but the white ceiling above her, then her gaze shifted and she saw him beside her.

"_Gadget..."_ Brenda had struggled to speak; her voice was hoarse and weak and she gave up, gasping for air once more.

"Shh, get some rest," he told her, "don't try and talk too much."

And in her weakened state all Brenda could do was listen to his words and close her eyes once more.

Gadget watched her sleep as he held her hand, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to take in air and as her breathing began to ease, he felt a partial sense of relief to know that the drugs had started to work at last and now breathing was becoming much easier for her.

But as he watched her sleep and saw the mass of wires and lines and tubes that ran into her body and the machinery around her bed, he suddenly thought back to his own crisis, the day of the explosion – it seemed insane to think that he had once been the patient in her care and she had been the scientist who had saved him by rebuilding his shattered body with new technology – now he was here, at her bedside, while she was wired up to life support equipment, yet there was no miracle of new technology capable of saving her; that poison had gone all the way through her body and no part of it could be saved by medical or scientific means.

It had just occurred to Gadget that he felt like he was looking at his creator and it seemed impossible to comprehend that his creator could be dying.

Then he pressed her hand against his cheek and kissed it as he silently wept.

* * *

Brenda woke again as dusk gave way to nightfall and while the world outside turned dark as the night sky, she opened her eyes in the dimly lit room and felt her hand resting in the grip of another. She turned her head and as she saw him looking at her, Brenda blinked away her tears, and then she took in a sharp lungful of pumped air.

"I won't survive this," she said tearfully, "I _know_, Gadget, I know what's happened to me..."

She gave a sob and he leaned closer, wiping away her tears as he looked into her eyes.

"Listen to me Brenda," he said gently, "it's all changed now. I've told her, I told G2 everything. From now on I'm with you."

Brenda stared up at him, her voice too hoarse to summon all the words she needed to demand an explanation.

"But I'm dying..."

Gadget felt like weeping too but held it back as he forced a smile.

"Not if I can help it," he said kindly as he stroked her hair again, "I'm going to take care of you, Brenda. As soon as you're strong enough, you're going home and coming with you - because I want to be with you. I have no regrets - I love you and I'm not letting go of you a second time! I think you and me together can do miracles, I really do."

And as Brenda took in his words she managed to smile and he saw a flicker of hope spark in her eyes. And that was enough for him to believe in words he had said to ease her pain, which had been born out of desperation, but as she smiled back at him, he swore she seemed stronger all of a sudden – and that was enough to lend him the spark of hope that he desperately needed, too... perhaps it _would_ be enough, perhaps love could work miracles - Gadget wanted to think so - even though he knew he was desperately clutching at hope that probably didn't exist...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The time had passed slowly at first, as Brenda got strong enough to go home he felt as if waiting around was the hardest thing to do – but Inspector Gadget had never expected any of this to be easy:

Going home to pack his things had been hard. G2 had barely spoken to him and all the while Penny had been silent, scratching away at the pages of her diary with a pen that never seemed to run out of ink.

Every time he looked at her the writing stopped and he would see a look in her eyes that he couldn't read.

He wondered how she felt but was too afraid to ask; feelings had been hurt in the kind of way that could never be put right.

Gadget wanted to tell her he was sorry, but such a simple word didn't seem enough.

Brenda was dying, they all knew that – but it didn't make the betrayal any easier to deal with...

"What are you doing?" Gadget asked as he headed for the door.

Penny looked up from her diary and shut the pages defensively.

"_Nothing."_

Gadget's heart ached as he thought of the family he was leaving behind. Penny looked so tearful and he had never planned for any of this, never wanted to cause such heartbreak – but Brenda needed him and even though he knew he was throwing away his happy life with his family – which would certainly have lasted a lot longer than the limited lifespan of Dr Bradford - he knew he couldn't have made any other choice.

"Promise me you'll come over to the house after school on Friday."

Penny nodded without looking up at him. Her eyes were still fixed on her diary.

Gadget took in a deep breath and summoned the courage to try one last time to reach her even though she seemed determined to stay distant.

"Penny, I'm sorry about the way things have turned out. I know we were a happy family and I'll always be sorry I destroyed that – but Brenda doesn't have long and if I left her now it would be the worst thing I could do."

Penny looked up.

As their eyes met Gadget stared at her, he felt sure he had never seen such a depth of sorrow in her expression before.

"It's all because of you!" Penny said tearfully, "I cry every day, Uncle Gadget!"

Tears ran down her face and as he reached for her she stepped back.

_"Why won't you wake up?"_ she said as she gave a sob, and then keeping a tight hold on her diary, she hurried from the room.

Gadget made no attempt to follow her. Instead he picked up his bags and walked out of the house feeling as if he wasn't just closing the door of the house but shutting a door on a whole chapter of his life that he wished he had hung on to...

* * *

As the days went on, with Brenda weak and barely able to function, Gadget found every day was taken up caring for her. When he hated it he reminded himself it wouldn't be this way forever because one day she would be gone and he would have nothing, but at least when he looked back, he would know he did the best he could at a time when there were no easy solutions.

_Brenda had been sleeping._

Gadget was sitting next to the bed and watching her sleep.

As she drew in a difficult breath and opened her eyes she blinked and then smiled.

"It won't always be this way," she whispered,"I'll get up soon...tomorrow..."

Gadget gently stroked her hair and leaned over her and gave her a kiss.

As his eyes stung with tears he found himself wishing she had turned him into an emotionless robot all those years ago instead of rebuilding him as a cyborg who could feel such depths of pain. As he watched her struggling to breathe, with each weak breath she too he found it impossible to believe the woman who had rebuilt his shattered body with such remarkable robotics was dying so easily – he had always thought of Brenda as wonderful, invincible – and he had held on to that spark of love they had once shared.

He guessed he ought to regret it now, but it was too late for regrets.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as tears filled her eyes, "maybe it would have been better if you'd left me there, a few more minutes and I wouldn't be here now..."

Gadget put his arm around her, pulling her closer as he blinked away tears.

"You know I wouldn't have left you there! It was worth getting you out – we're still together!"

"And we could have had everything and now we have nothing," she said weakly.

Gadget looked into her eyes and wanted to cry but instead managed to smile and hold back his tears.

"No," he told her, "that's not true, Brenda. We still have each other – we love each other – so we _do_ have everything and thing can ever change that."

Brenda closed her eyes again and as she grew weak in his arms he gently let her go, so that she was resting against soft pillows once more.

The he heard that sound again.

He turned to see Penny writing in her diary. She was sitting in a chair beside the dressing table and she was writing and writing as if she couldn't have stopped if she tried.

"I didn't hear you come in."

_Penny continued to write._

Gadget felt a chill run down his spine as he watched his niece.

She wasn't listening to him at all, just writing in the diary as if they were separated by a brick wall...

He glanced at Brenda, who was sleeping now, and got up from her bedside and walked over to his niece.

"_Stop doing that."_

Penny closed the diary, paced the pen on top of it and held the book shut with both hands. She looked up at him and she met his gaze he kept his voice low, not wanting to wake Brenda when she was so very fragile and sleep was so important to her.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Penny looked into his eyes.

"I'm keeping a diary. _I don't want you to read it_."

Gadget reached for the book. Penny tried to shift backwards, but it was impossible to avoid the grip of hands that shot out at the end of metallic wrists.

He grabbed the book and tore it from her grasp.

"You are _not _having this back until I know what the big secret is!" he told her sharply.

As he walked out of the room with the diary in his hand, she hurried after him.

"Please, wait – Uncle Gadget, give it back...you don't understand, it's private..."

Gadget looked at his niece.

"_Private?_ If it was private you wouldn't be writing in it everywhere you go, guarding it the way you do! Every time I look at you it's all I see you doing!"

"_Leave it alone."_

Gadget looked at Penny and was unable to read the expression in her eyes. As she looked at him he felt strange, as if the world had slipped sideways and taken him with it.

His gaze fell on the closed book in his hands.

And Penny said, _"Don't look inside it, Uncle Gadget."_

He looked hard at her, but that haunted expression was still in her eyes.

"I don't know what you've been writing," he said, "But I need to know what this is about, you're too young to keep secrets –"

And then he fell silent as he opened the book, turned page after page and stared in shock at what he saw:

_Every single page inside her diary was blank..._

* * *

The blank pages were still there in front of his eyes, never written on, just white paper turning into white walls.

He closed his eyes again and suddenly thought about how heavy he felt – his whole body felt like lead, and he remembered the robotics that were now installed inside him. He was sure he had woken up feeling like that after Brenda had fixed him up and turned him into a cyborg...

"Brenda..."

As he whispered her name someone ran a hand over his hair and he looked slowly at the person sat beside his bed.

It was Penny, she had been crying.

_She had a diary in her hands._

"It's okay," she was saying, "you're going to be okay now..."

He closed his eyes again and heard another voice speak, it sounded like G2 and she was telling her to come outside for a moment.

He wondered if Penny had started to cry and then sleep dragged him off to a place where time was not measured:

_He was with Brenda..._

She shut the bedroom door and wrapped her arms around him and they kissed and then he pulled her over to the bed and down to the softness of the covers as he kissed her again running his fingers through her hair as he looked into her eyes.

"Don't worry about the death threats," he whispered as he kissed her again, "it's just some crazy bastard letting off steam – it won't come to anything. I've been in this business long enough to know when to take something like _that_ seriously!"

And he had rolled on top of her, pinning her down as she wrapped her legs around him and looked into his eyes.

"You make me feel safe, John."

"I always will, that's what I do best," he had reminded her, taking her in his arms as he reached down to unbuckle his belt. She gave a shiver of excitement as she waited to feel him inside her, she had thought of nothing but the moment and neither had he...

_The scene shifted forward._

It was later, there had been a big meeting in town and a huge crowd had gathered, the press was there too and people were pushing and shoving and he had put his arm around her and shielded her from all of that chaos...

Until a crazy bastard, whose threat had turned out to be serious, had pushed through the crowd.

"Mayor Bradford!" he had yelled.

Gadget had looked up, seen the gun, covered her and dived, slamming her to the ground as the assassin fired shot after shot...

_Everything else was a blank._

_Then he remembered waking up as a cyborg._

_He remembered his battles with Claw; his life after he ceased to be a security guard whose name was John Brown..._

* * *

And then he took in a sharp breath and opened his eyes.

Penny was back at his bedside.

She leaned over him and kissed his cheek.

There was a woman beside her who he had never seen before, she was wearing a dark suit and had dark brown hair and by the look of her, she worked out every day, she looked athletic.

"This is Linda." Penny quickly explained, "She does your job now – she looks after all of us. And she's good; she used to work for the FBI."

He looked at the woman, who he was certain he had never seen before.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked him.

He shook his head, wondering if he even knew who he was or what he was – he was aching all over in a very human way, and as he tried to think back to that other life as a man named Inspector Gadget, the recollection of those days and an enemy called Claw was fading away.

"Am I human?" he asked in a shaky voice.

Penny blinked away more tears.

"_Of course you are!"_

And she looked anxiously at Linda.

"What's the matter with him?"

Linda remained calm, trying to keep Penny calm in the process.

"Let e just explain to your Uncle what happened."

And she looked into his eyes and spoke calmly spelling out facts that seemed new to him:

"You were escorting Mayor Bradford from the Town Hall and a maniac pulled a gun. You did your job, you protected her- and you took two bullets in the chest in the process. It's been a scary time for Brenda and Penny, you've been very sick - but you're getting better now."

He stared at her.

"_Mayor_ Bradford?"

Penny nodded.

"You used to work for her – she's also your girlfriend."

"Did she used to call me –"

He didn't get to finish the sentence. Brenda finished it for him as she walked through the door with relief shining in her eyes.

"_Gadget!"_ she exclaimed, _"Oh thank God!"_

And as she put her arms around him he remembered – she used to call him Gadget because of all the security devices he used to rig up...

His other life, the one that had seemed so real, where he was a cyborg police inspector, was fading away now.

As Brenda kissed him and looked into his eyes she spoke again and another missing piece fell into place.

"You took a bullet for me," she told him, "actually, you took two...you protected me that day, Gadget, You're such a brave –"

"Security guard." He said to her, "That's all I was."

And she stared at him for a moment

"No, honey – you were my personal bodyguard!"

And as she said that, he recalled it.

Gadget smiled and shook his head.

"I've had some crazy dreams!"

Then his smile faded as he saw Penny was holding something in her hands:

_It was a diary, it was closed and she was clutching it tightly..._

Gadget felt a chill run through his very human and definitely non cyborg body as he looked at the book in her hands.

"What's that?" he asked her.

Penny opened up the book and he breathed a relieved sigh to notice that every page _definitely _had writing on it.

"You were very badly hurt," she said quietly, "so I decided to keep a diary for you – I've written in it every day since you were shot – so that you could read it when you got better so you understood what had happened."

Gadget blinked back tears as he weakly held his arms out to her.

"Give me a hug, Penny."

As Penny gently embraced him he looked over her shoulder at Brenda and felt silently thankful that everything he had dreamed had not come to pass – some of it had been an adventure, some of it had broken his heart – but none of it had been real, _this_ was his only reality – Brenda and Penny, his family, he was still alive and still had his family...

* * *

Five months later, Penny hurried to her bedroom and grabbed her diary.

She sat down as summer sunshine streamed through the window and grabbed a pen and began to write:  
_'I haven't kept a diary since the day Uncle John woke up in the hospital. But I want to write in it again today, so I am - because I have something happy to say: Today my Uncle John and Brenda got married. This is the best day ever'._

And she drew a smiley face below her words, closed the book and went back downstairs to join the rest of the guests in the garden as the music struck up and her Uncle had his first dance with his new wife.

John Brown never spoke again about the dreams he had while he was recovering from the gunshot wounds.

_And if he thought about them, he kept those recollections locked away, in his very human heart._

End.


End file.
